Would love to create a master list of everyone’s favorite video stores in the greater LA area. Not sure if there’s a better term for it, but I feel like “Video Store” can encompass any place that sells OR rents dvd, vhs, and movie related materials, etc.

To get the ball rolling with some of the obvious (and not so obvious):

Places that feature titles to rent and/or buy:
– Cinefile Video (West LA) – kind of the gold standard IMO with an impeccable selection. These guys were the first to sell those Cine-metal shirts we all know and love
– Videotheque (Pasadena) – I actually think this may have a better selection than Cinefile, or perhaps a better curated space (with more sq. footage). They also sell good records and cool shirts as well, no one ever seems to mention that.
– Vidiots (Santa Monica) – Similar to the 1st two in terms of dvd selection
– Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee (Burbank) – AMAZING collection of VHS rentals. I believe it’s a 9:1 VHS to DVD ratio. So y’know, it’s heaven on earth.
– Video Paradiso (Claremont) – haven’t been here yet but hear good things!

Places that feature titles to buy:
– Amoeba Records (Hollywood) – again sort of the gold standard, chances are if you’re looking for it, they have it. Also free shipping online for the lazy.
– Foreign Exchange Blu Ray Imports (Culver City) – Great little store for hard to find import Blu-rays. Found some great titles here from an amazing Rivette set to early Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Hong Sang Soo, etc.
– Mt. Analogue (Highland Park) – more of a record store but def a hidden gem for Czech New Wave films, occult films, other oddities and film ephemera. Found a really amazing pamphlet here once of an interview from the 70’s between Roger Ebert and Werner Herzog after a screening of Kaspar Hauser

Well, I am currently lucky enough to be doing a pretty wonderful project with Vidiots that is involving VHS preservation. I will be able to talk about it in more detail as it gets further along, but as it stands, if anyone wants to know anything about the VHS collection at Vidiots, I may be able to help you out a little bit! <3

Thanks for posting that, Phil!
I’d also like to point out that the other archivist that they mention in that article is Marc Edward Heuck, another blogger here at the New Beverly blog, and while the project was proposed and is being headed by myself through the company that I am associated with, there is 100% NO WAY EVER that I would be able to do it without his mad film skillz!